When Gates Opened
by kimayli
Summary: Maybe, Kaoru thought, all that was needed was someone so far removed from any world they played in to see them perfectly.
1. The Impossible Hope

No ownership of original, Ouran High School Host Club. This story and idea based from it is my own. Enjoy Kaoru's side of everything with a twist on the original. I do wonder if any of you will catch the adjustment right away with the first chapter.

* * *

When she entered the classroom, Kaoru thought the ratty blue sweater was eating her. It hung a bit too long on her already small frame. He tilted his head. Petite. More petite under the sweater. Wide brown eyes peered at her new classmates. She looked like a living doll. He wondered who dressed her or gave her those clothes. A girl with a face like that was too cute not to play dress up with. Although, Kaoru did agree the middle school uniform would do her well. Pinks, creams, and chocolates would look well on her.

Brunette hair curtained before her face as she bowed. Then she went through her greetings. She sat at the desk next to his brother. Hikaru glanced at her and dismissed her, preferring to show his game stats to Kaoru before he put it back away.

The teacher began the class and Kaoru began taking notes. It's not as though she would ever come to matter in the world. Hikaru and he always had to make their own entertainment and way in the world. No matter the place or people, nothing changed in their world. New and exciting things that captured either his brother or his attention came from their own bored minds looking to spice it up.

Hikaru preferred it that way, protecting their world fiercely. And Kaoru kept the gates tightly shut. But he continued hoping that one day, a person from outside their tiny world would prove it wrong. He grew more and more heavy hearted at the loneliness carving out his insides. It was painful.

But he feared how lost and broken his brother would become if he left the world altogether. So Kaoru stayed, hoping for that day of impossiblities, when another could enter their world and be there for Hikaru if it was ever needed.


	2. A First Confession

No ownership of original, Ouran High School Host Club. This story and idea based from it is my own. Enjoy Kaoru's side of everything with a twist on the original. Did any of you catch the adjustment from the first chapter?

* * *

When she confessed her love, Kaoru felt a pain of hurt. The word fell flat and sharp to his ears. Love was a sacrifice. She had made none. She only had a love of appearance. Kaoru thought she should know better when dealing with a Hitachiin. Fashion only delved so deep into a person, but shallow spread farther than just the fashionable Hitachiin company.

"I'm sorry, he apologized bitterly. Another chance at someone proving him incorrect fell wayside. "I don't feel the same for you. But my brother Kaoru has noticed you."

Her prettily done eyes went wide. "Oh. Kaoru is adorable. Do...do you know where he is?"

Hikaru's weight rested on Kaoru's shoulder. "I thought you loved Hikaru though. You just confessed to him, not me."

"I confess... I've always been torn between the two of you. But lately-"

"So if my brother didn't agree with your confession of love, you'd be okay with throwing it away so quickly to confess the same to me? I don't think he or I think so highly of you shallow bitch. After all, we're the same aren't we?" Hikaru snarled and together they shredded her note that asked for this meeting.

"You didn't even realize the boy you called out to so easily by 'Hikaru' was not even the boy of your so called affections," Hikaru spat out and prodded her harshly with a finger. "But what's it matter?"

"After all," Kaoru spoke.

"We are identical."

Gobsmacked, the girl had a stupid look on her face that fit her so well. "You are both so cruel!" She sprinted away.

Kaoru couldn't help but sigh and Hikaru tightened his hand over his. "Kaoru?" Kaoru squeezed back. Even their first love confession was the same. Their, always their. Their tiny world remained.

"Damn rich bastards."

The pair jumped and turned at the voice. It was the girl who looked like a living doll being swallowed alive by her sweaters. Standing up, she gathered up her books from the niche she had been studying in before announcing her presence. She tucked long strands of hair behind an ear and huffed. "Now I need to find a different place to study. How annoying."

"Who are you to comment? You hold no stakes here." Feeling the lean, Kaoru towered over her with Hikaru and lended his voice. "Commoner."

She blinked, her nose wrinkling. "There is such a thing as _common_ human decency." Then she spun around and strode away from them. With Hikaru, Kaoru watched her leave in surprise. He looked over to his brother and his brother turned to him.

Hikaru growled and stalked over to snatched his bag up from where he hid it before with Kaoru's bag. "Common human decency. Ha! As if she has any right to tell us off," he snarled. "No one bothers! Treating us as one! I don't need any of their crap. I know who sees me and you are more than enough for me."

His brother gathered his breath and smiled at Kaoru. "You are my common human decency. Let's go home and eat french toast slathered in maple syrup Kaoru. She was the one who was cruel and without decency, not us."

Kaoru smiled back. "Very boring. Same as the rest of them."

"Idiots," Hikaru replied.

"All of them," they chimed together and laughed.


	3. Her Unique Pencil

No ownership of original, Ouran High School Host Club. This story and idea based from it is my own. Enjoy Kaoru's side of everything with a twist on the original. Did any of you catch the adjustment from the first chapter? This living doll being eaten alive by her sweaters should sound familiar.

* * *

When he saw Hikaru's eyes drift over to the girl again, Kaoru nudged him. His brother scowled back and jerked his head back in her direction. Then he tapped the game resting on his lap, hidden from the previous teacher's eyes and waggled his eyebrows at Kaoru. Kaoru shrugged and grinned. Hikaru's whole face lit up and he fidgeted in anticipation.

He didn't blame his brother and the new fascination. They had discussed her last night, agreeing she was interesting. She showed no concern on talking to them as if they were equals. Or any real concern on what they or the shallow bitch had done. Just manner of fact, blunt, and annoyed at losing her study spot.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Hikaru rested a hand on one of her shoulders as Kaoru did the same on the other. The worn lavender sweater she wore today was soft and fuzzy. He fingered the material with care. It appeared it was an article that was well loved and cared for, so he treated it accordingly.

The girl sighed, setting her books back onto her desk. Hikaru and he grinned at each other.

"What's with all of this?" Hikaru flipped carelessly through her pile. "It's not as though you'll be around much longer."

"Oh, look at this weird pen Hikaru," Kaoru pointed out. He plucked it off of the girl's desk. His brother leaned farther across the girl to hold the other end as they marveled it together. An end hit her nose and Kaoru pinched the curious looking end with surprise. "There is an eraser on this end!"

They looked at each other and laughed.

"Commoners are even more stupid than we thought. You can't erase ink."

"Can cheap ink be erased Kaoru?"

"I don't know," Kaoru responded.

They grinned and held it up high. "Let's try!"

"Hey you two!" The girl pushed at their hands, trying to stop them from scribbling all over her precious notes. "It's a mechanical pencil! And I like that brand, don't-"

The cheap plastic snapped. All three of them stared at it. "Uh oh, we broke it," Kaoru and Hikaru sung together. They dropped it back onto her desk.

"If you really wanted to try it, you could have just asked," she said sourly. "You don't need to pester me just because I saw what you two did yesterday."

"Listen to her Kaoru."

"Telling us off again."

"As if any opinion matters to us," they laughed.

"It apparently does bother you two if you are bothering me today, but I never went out of my way about it. Now, if the pair of you are quite done." She stood, batting their hands off of her shoulders, and regathered her books. "I need to find a new spot to study in peace and quiet."

With that, she left them standing in surprise for the second time in two consecutive days.

Kaoru reached down and picked the broken writing utensil she left behind, fingering it carefully. He may have always been Hikaru's partner in crime for years, but he tended to be more observant. Kaoru did not speak up much on how they hurt others, many very deserved it and stating it did not mean Hikaru would see and understand it. But she had no reserves and it was almost as though she actually saw them...to tell them off so easily.

He kind of admired the girl for that. She saw their crap, past the typical teasing, but the real crap they pulled and she wasn't having any of it.

"She pisses me off," Hikaru stated. But there was no heat to it.

Kaoru shrugged and went to his desk for some tape. Hikaru watched him as he fixed the odd pencil. "Well," he said. "She certainly is interesting."

His brother grinned broadly, touching the repair job. "I'm glad we decided to play with her. I wonder how long she'll last. This thing is a pencil?"

Curious, Hikaru took the pencil and clicked the top, both of them watching the thin strand of lead grow. Hikaru snickered and kept clicking until the lead fell out. With a shrug as it seemed that was it, Hikaru put it back onto her desk and pulled out the new video game. Kaoru watched on, giving whispered tips, feeling a bit odd as he glanced over and saw the broken thing laying discarded on her desk. The girl had been correct in her words, they had gone out of their way.

Upon returning to the classroom after break was over, she had out a different mechanical pencil with her books, but touched the taped one with a thoughtful look at them. Hikaru snorted from beside her, both Kaoru and he looking away from her face. But when they heard the clicking noise, they turned.

His brother's eyes went wide and Karou was hard pressed to hide his own amazement. The petite girl had removed the eraser of the taped one and put the lead back inside a hidden compartment. A smile cracked across her face, noticing their continued interest in her odd commoner pencil.

"Here." She placed the broken thing onto Hikaru's desk. "It only had the one lead left and you two broke it anyway."

Hikaru and he scoffed. "Why would we want your broken commoner junk to write with?"

But he picked it up and clicked away, watching the lead in fascination before he was able to try her eraser trick. Hikaru gleefully showed Kaoru and then clicked the lead out again. "Try it Kaoru," he offered excitedly.

"Best new toy ever, she likes us," Hikaru snickered quietly. Kaoru smirked back. The girl was in trouble now, but he looked very much forward to keeping her in their lives, if only for this brief moment. She seemed good for Hikaru. "Let's keep playing games on her."


	4. A Mystery Spot

No ownership of original, Ouran High School Host Club. This story and idea based from it is my own. Enjoy Kaoru's side of everything with a twist on the original. Any of you feel sorry for this girl?

* * *

When she turned around to give them a look, Kaoru paused, a bit scared by how peeved she seemed. But he smiled mischievously with Hikaru. There really wasn't too much she could actually do about it after all.

"What are you two doing?"

"Nothing," Kaoru chimed with his brother.

"Why are you two following me?"

"You're walking ahead of us."

"Oh. Am I?" She stepped to the side and motioned for them to move past her. "There you two are, go ahead. Now I'm not in your way with you two speed walking along."

Hikaru and he looked at each other, and then stepped forward to each take an arm. "Let's walk together then!"

She huffed, but they continued to frog march her along. Kaoru glanced over to see her somewhat resigned expression and his spirits fell. Hikaru would lose interest if she lost her bit of fight. He searched his mind for something to cause a reaction and began prodding at her. "Are you just shy or not care about the rest of our idiot classmates?"

She furrowed her eyebrows and looked over to Kaoru. "Huh?"

"All study study study," Hikaru fussed.

"Maybe you two rich bastards can play around at school, but I worked hard to be here and plan to spend my time well."

"That clashes too much. And we don't compromise," Kaoru informed her.

"Right," she said. "Can you stop walking with me now? I actually was going to study."

"Uh-oh, you're wrong," they sang. "We win! Two versus one and we choose playtime!"

"You're just pestering me you rich bastards, not playing," she snapped. "Let go."

Kaoru laughed with his brother. "I like her mouth Karou! Listen to the words she uses."

"Rich bastards, us," Kaoru asked playfully. "But we can study too, otherwise we wouldn't be so high up on the classmates of idiots list."

"You are ahead of us, miss scholarship. And even know to ignore all the morons like we do! We're joining you today."

They leaned close and Kaoru beamed widely at her fearful growing realization. "We want to see where you study!"

"No way."

"Come on," they wheddled.

"No way."

"We know this school better than you."

"No way in hell."

She was in so much trouble, Karou thought gleefully. No way were they going to leave her alone on this mystery spot. She had just challenged them.


	5. The Sweater Story

No ownership of original, Ouran High School Host Club. This story and idea based from it is my own. Enjoy Kaoru's side of everything with a twist on the original. I hope by now you will be recognizing this nameless girl the twins are playing with. Have you caught the adjustment? Another hint here on the adjustment to the original story.

* * *

When a week had gone by, they had smoked out all of her study spots. They grinned at each other when she did not leave her classroom desk during break. She absentmindedly fingered the sleeve of her worn sweater. It was the navy blue one today, Kaoru noted. He tallied it to his mental list in his mind. Out of all of her sweaters, this one seemed to be the favorite as she had worn it the most frequently of all of them.

Hikaru noticed her distraction as well, tugging at her sweater. "What's with all of the grubby outfits you wear?"

She flinched and smacked his hand away. "Leave it alone."

"It's one thing that you can't even afford the proper middle school uniform of Ouran, but you come wearing these monstrosities. You come to our school with not even something half decent draped over yourself."

Hikaru tugged at the fabric again. "I said leave it alone," she snapped and smacked his hand again. Kaoru leaned over and plucked at the material, surprised by how soft it actually was. She batted his hand away as well. "I don't care for fashion anyway."

"That's obvious," they chorused.

"I wear this sweater not for fashion but for comfort."

"It's clear you don't wear it for fashion. This style was worn about 10 years ago," Karou stated. "But it is the fit of it on you that makes it most unsettling."

Hikaru snorted. "Who was the terrible person who gave you this hand me down?"

She shoved his hands away. "I said leave it alone. It's not as though I am making you two wear it. What I wear is none of your business anyway. So knock it off."

"But we have to look at it all day. Horrible. It is our business."

She pulled out her notebook and began reading over her notes made in her mechanical pencil.

Kaoru watched her curiously. It wasn't for appearance, that was more than clear, but he got the notion that she was being a bit defensive over her wardrobe choices. It wasn't as though she could afford the uniform, even if Kaoru thought the color would suit her well. A brief image of her in a darker skirt, a creamy button down shirt underneath a more form fitting rose sweater flashed through his mind. The colors would go well with her, but he doubted she would don it instead of these overlarge options with black pants.

Fingers tapping the desk in annoyance and boredom, his brother finally broke the short silence.

"Why wear such an ugly and stupid thing," Hikaru stressed and yanked at her sweater. The fabric stretched precariously. Her face went white.

Whipping around, her notebook smashed straight into Hikaru's nose.

"Ow! Kaoru," he whinned. "She hurt me. Kaoru?"

Kaoru shook his head as his brother realized he wasn't moving to get retribution on his behalf. Not this time.

Her notebook trembled in her hands, her doll face starting to gain an angry flush.

"I never asked for your commentary on my choices. You have no cause for such rudeness over something you can clearly realize I prefer. There is a reason I prefer wearing such ugly and stupid shirts," she spat into Hikaru's face. "I have a goal I am striving for, the reason why I applied here to learn more. These shirts that seem to cause you such grief, are a reminder for me. These shirts are my mother's. And they were not given lightly from my father's closet nor do I wear them without remembering her warmth and kindness. I did not request your commentary on my choices or goals or to insult my mother."

She stormed off, books clutched in a tension throbbing white and red hands. Kaoru was stunned. He had known better to push if she was feeling defensive. She never shown much on her bland face other than to tell them off for the real crap they pulled when pestering her at all her old study spots. But he never thought they had crossed this large of a line.

"Kaoru," Hikaru spoke up timidly. "Do you think...is her mother...gone?"

"You think?" He couldn't disguise the small bit of snark that came out. He sighed and rubbed at his temple.

"I just wanted to have her stop ignoring us! She said she didn't care about fashion, I didn't say anything wrong. I'm not being ignored by some common girl, as interesting as she may be. I was just playing, she doesn't matter."

"Hikaru," Kaoru toned.

His brother flushed red, crossing his arms. "We both played with her, I'm not being over emotional Kaoru. She's like everyone else outside our world and you didn't even back me up! She isn't us, she's just another idiot classmate and short termed classmate at that!"

"She only yelled at you," Kaoru stated simply. "Not us. You."

Hikaru deflated, looking away. So he had realized, Kaoru thought. It clearly bothered him that their new plaything only yelled at him.

"Apologize," Kaoru told him. "And then we can move along to the next game. You messed up."

Hikaru scowled. "Yeah yeah."

It wouldn't be the first or only time Kaoru had Hikaru make amends before his brother could expect to play another scheme together with him. But Kaoru was disappointed that it had come to that already. He had hoped the girl would be good for Hikaru. Well, she had been the only person to mark one of them, to point out not both, but one. He doubted if she could or would ever tell them apart, but he and Hikaru had always taken blame together. Even when Kaoru bowed out if he felt it was too far. They were a pair, a set, never apart. Except to each other.

He was Kaoru.

He was Hikaru.

Both and separate. But no one had ever made them out as seperate. Even their own mother. But today, it was Hikaru who got told off despite her not knowing which was which.

Kaoru wanted to award her.

But he assumed Hikaru had destroyed what bit of her that put up with them.

Game over.

It wouldn't be them leaving her behind, but her leaving them behind. But Kaoru severely doubted Hikaru would realize that detail. He didn't plan on telling his brother. Karou would have to pin his impossible hope to someone else.

Sighing, he stared at the empty desk next to Hikaru.

The end of this game hurt.


	6. His Hallway Apology

No ownership of original, Ouran High School Host Club. This story and idea based from it is my own. Enjoy Kaoru's side of everything with a twist on the original. Do any of you think this is really the end for this girl in their lives?

* * *

When Hikaru finally approached her, it was nearly summer break. Kaoru of course watched from around the corner and followed at a safe distance. His brother apologizing was always worth the show because he often couldn't manage to give a proper apology.

"Hey," Hikaru spoke up. Kaoru slammed a hand to his mouth as he nearly burst into laughter. His brother had been right next to the girl. But being completely awkward and against apologizing when he thought he was in the right, Hikaru had been facing the hallway wall. The petite girl had glanced over and noticed he wasn't facing her, so she had shrugged and continued walking. Wide eyed at the dismissal, Hikaru had frozen and gone red in the face.

His brother quickly chased her down and yelled. "Hey!" Kaoru inched his way along the wall, smirking at those giving him odd looks. They hurried past. Reputation was a wonderful and funny thing, Kaoru thought as brown skirts and white pants scuttled away. Then he put his attention back onto his brother and slapped his face.

"Really Hikaru," he groaned.

Despite her height disadvantage, the girl was easily glaring him down. It had seemed Hikaru thought the best way to make sure her attention was on him was to grab her arm, stretching out the forest green sweater.

Realizing what he had done, Hikaru jerked his hand back. "Don't ignore me next time when I greet you," he retorted with a defensive snap. "It's rude."

She sighed, patting down the sweater Hikaru had pulled. "What did you want?"

Hikaru fumbled, tripping slightly as he walked beside her. Kaoru snickered. This new classmate was hilarious for all her bluntness. "I want…I wanted to… I never said anything wrong! You are the one who said you didn't care about fashion! So it shouldn't…matter."

His brother slumped and found the hallway wall more interesting once again. This was typical. Hikaru apologizing was always a show. He put all that effort in and fell every time, never managing to be able to do it. His brother always tried so much harder than Kaoru did, but his pride always tripped him up. Then in frustration, Hikaru would lose his cool.

"It may be too large for you and years outdated, but…your mother was a professional," Hikaru mumbled. Face scrunched, he forced himself to look at her again and pursed his lips. "What…what career did she have? To dress like that. She had to have a…great job."

He trailed off and Kaoru gave two mental thumbs up to his brother. That was pretty good from Hikaru! No apology, but he had hit the core of what he was trying to apologize for, insulting her dead mother.

The girl hesitated, but then responded to the point. "A lawyer."

"A lawyer? Yeah," Hikaru admitted. "That is pretty impressive since she wasn't a shark. Oh, uh, you said she was kind and warm, right?"

"Yes. She loved being able to help people. I really hope I can become a lawyer like that." She smiled at Hikaru. He glanced away and Kaoru saw the small smile on his face. It was hard not to see how cute she was in talking about her mother. "That's why I applied to study at Ouran. I want to be a great lawyer like she was."

"You will," Hikaru declared. He saw his brother turn back to her in slow motion, rubbing at the back of his neck as he chuckled nervously. Kaoru's chest went heavy. "I mean, you have the drive for it, so, I'm sure you will."

"Thanks. But I still have much to learn before I reach my goal. I have to get home now."

She waved and hurried out the front door. But Kaoru watched his brother carefully, a new feeling of loneliness filling him up. Whether he was aware of it or not, Hikaru liked her. Hikaru never held much concern for others beside his twin, his brother, for Kaoru. But the way he spoke and backtracked in the last part of their conversation, meant he was nervous about giving her the first blast of his emotions, destroying anything between them like he had already done once.

Hikaru liked her, the girl he probably still thought of as a plaything, part of an old game.

It left Kaoru feeling far more alone than he had before. But he smiled, happy for Hikaru and wondering how best to get his over emotional brother to start realizing he cared about what this girl thought of him. To have her enter into the tiny world Hikaru was so protective over. Kaoru could figure it out during summer break how to crack open the gates for her.

How best to cultivate an impossible hope to fruition?


	7. A Fashion Challenge

No ownership of original, Ouran High School Host Club. This story and idea based from it is my own. Enjoy Kaoru's side of everything with a twist on the original. Any ideas on how Kaoru may keep this hope near his brother? Also, for those who caught an error. My apologies on the Karou. I had recently read 'Daughter of Smoke and Bone' and had saved it as Karou for a new word in my computer dictionary.

* * *

When their mom's summer fashion show ended, Kaoru stretched his arms above his head. The chaos around he and Hikaru needed no aid, so they both merely watched it. They casually dismissed any attention thrown on them, raving over the few pieces they had contributed to her show. These people were far too easily impressed and obvious in their overtures to the young Hitachiins. Frankly, boring.

Now that the frantic presentation of their work was completed, Kaoru tugged his messenger bag and together they worked through the bit of summer homework they'd brought. Catching sight of his mother in her bright button up hurrying past, an idea struck Kaoru. He marked his page and took his sketchbook out.

"What'd you think of?" Hikaru prodded him.

Kaoru hummed back and continued sweeping lines, building the image. He was altogether unclear if he wished to share with Hikaru. After all...

He pulled out a few colored utensils to add to his drawing and held it up. Hikaru peered curiously and he far more critically. It was workable, but one would not make a professional wardrobe. And given how the matter of what he had seen of her, the girl wouldn't take well to something that large. Perhaps a few that were easy to mix around and give the feeling of being more?

Kaoru huffed to himself as he scrawled that note to the side. "Wouldn't work probably."

He tapped the outfit he had drawn in thought. Besides, Hikaru had done the apology and moved on. How would this work to let her stick around in their worldview longer if his brother had moved past her as a game and she would never take such a rich gift from them? She had not called them rich bastards that lightly.

And what she wore was her mothers. What right did either of them have in trying to replace that?

"It'll never work."

"No," Hikaru pipped in. "Those colors would work for her. It's simple, updated, and still has that touch of professional her mom preferred. Add a skirt too Kaoru, I want to see her in a skirt."

Kaoru blinked in surprise at how easily Hikaru agreed to his idea, abit unknowingly. "No. I meant she won't wear it. We can't replace her mother Hikaru."

His brother scowled. "So," he said sulky. "It would look better on her. She isn't her mother. Not enough height or chest obviously."

Kaoru nearly laughed at his brother's honest argument and unflattering facts. It was true but not at all what Kaoru meant. "Perhaps you should tell her that and see if your argument works."

"I will," Hikaru retorted. "What about hey! What do you mean me and not we?"

Kaoru sniggered. "Eh, well, she isn't like most other girls, that's true. Maybe we should both tell her she has a flat chest?"

Hesitate now, Hikaru drew back. "Uh...maybe not. But she shouldn't be wearing such hideous things. She's too cute to have no one putting her into cute outfits."

"True. She's rather serious and devoted to her goal, maybe she is one who sees good fashion as a diversion and not important to the world?"

"But the world goes by first impressions," Hikaru stated. "Let's get her in this. Skirt Kaoru, add a skirt. We have all school year to convince her that our way is the right way. And pink, definitely add in a pink."

Hikaru pulled out his own sketchbook and began setting up a color palate. His brother added in a yellow, bronze and gold. Kaoru nodded. Yeah. Choosing fringes of those would work well for her. Silver trim didn't seem right with her skin tone and eyes. Jewelry may prove even more difficult for this model though.

Kaoru said so to Hikaru. Hikaru grinned. "We'll get to see her in it. We've never lost a game. Sheer annoyance may make her give in, do you think?"

"Oh. That is quite an idea you two have there." They looked up to see their mother in front of them. "Such a cute model. A real little doll? She'll happily jump into any outfit you design her Kaoru. What agency does she work for?"

"This is our toy mother."

She grinned as if taking the challenge and began to cast her eyes about the chaos. Kaoru and Hikaru smirked at each other.

Another game. Game two pertaining to a girl who they had only known a few short months. Karou's hope rose up. Would she keep proving to be unlike anyone they had run across before? He froze for a second. What if his impossible hope happened and she saw Kaoru for who he was better than even Hikaru realized and knew? To realize how lonely he truly was in life and why he wanted others in his brother's world so much?

Kaoru shook his head. No, no. Even before, her focus had fallen to Hikaru.


	8. A Toy Declaration

No ownership of original, Ouran High School Host Club. This story and idea based from it is my own. Enjoy Kaoru's side of everything with a twist on the original. Anyone still feeling sorry for her or wishing she'll show them up?

* * *

When they entered the classroom, they grinned and greeted her cheerfully. Cautiously, she looked up from her book and studied them for a moment. "Hello."

Hikaru and he beamed back. She stared at them evenly, then tilted her head slightly with a minute frown creasing at her mouth. Kaoru laughed.

"What?" We can't even greet a fellow classmate..."

"...without suspicion? Tut tut. We aren't that terrible to our classmates."

She huffed and mumbled as she looked back to her book. "You call them idiots."

"She caught us Hikaru," Kaoru cheered. They threw their hands into the air in mock celebration, making like they had confetti.

"They're idiots."

"Dull."

"Boring."

"Same as ever."

"All people are morons."

"Easy game."

"But you."

"You're not," they proclaimed. She blinked at turning her head to each as they spoke. Her nose wrinkled. Kaoru smirked over at Hikaru and his brother smirked back. There was her usual annoyance.

"You think you are equal to us. Telling us off."

"Rare but not unheard of."

"But nooooo." They pointed dramatically at her.

"You decide to only tell my brother off," Hikaru proclaimed. He leaned close to her, lips twitching in humor. "Not us."

"Just me."

She frowned and looked between them. Then her gaze settled onto Hikaru as she asked slowly. "Hikaru, right?"

"That's right," Hikaru said. "My brother Hikaru."

After a long silence on her end as they stared at her patiently. They wanted to see what she would do next with them annoying her, taking up her study time with their antics.

"What are you two up to?" She finally asked with far more suspicion than her returned greeting.

"Up to?"

"Us?"

"Why would you ever think that?"

"Do I need to answer that?"

Kaoru laughed at her bit of snark showing past annoyance. His brother laughed as well. Her question was correct.

"You said it."

"We call them idiots."

"Them."

"You though?"

"Smart."

"And interesting."

"Should be both to have the sheer nerve to apply and get in here."

"Not an idiot like them."

"But far too serious for our taste."

"We'll change that," they chimed.

"Hey!" She shouted in protest loudly. The focus of the rest of the classroom idiots turned to look at her yelling up at the Hitachiin twins. "You can't just decide you get to change a person!"

"See serious," Kaoru stated blandly. "That's part of why you are interesting commoner."

"Yelling at us in front of a room filled with people who are far above you."

She stood up quickly and Kaoru froze with his brother as she bowed. "I'm sorry about these two and for disrupting the classroom. Apologize."

With a jolt, they gazed at her is disbelief at the command after she apologized on their behalf already.

"You already did commoner. Thanks for doing that for us."

She narrowed her eyes at them. "That is not my name. Now apologize to the rest of our classmates."

"Those boring idiots?"

Honestly, Kaoru thought. What did it say of their classmates when they took no offense and merely continued appearing amused at her expression? Same old boring thing. Get on their good side. They're the Hitachiin sons. Everyone here did that. Their mother even told them that, but she did say it was merely a suggestion on her behalf. Her real rule was more of the effect of not creating long lasting damage. Which didn't bother them at all. It never took long for them to get bored and move on.

"You know, we should call her something other than commoner."

"That's right. She's Tanuki."

"My name is not Tanuki," she began.

Kaoru cut her off. "But this is what we will call you. Like...a nickname."

"It's better than everyone who calls you commoner anyway," they chorused. They directed looks about the classroom, then tugged her forward.

"This is Tanuki. Our toy."

The newly christened Tanuki sputtered. But their classmates had already nodded, agreeing to the Hitachiin madness than upsetting them. Either for family name or knowing the types of stunts they had pulled on those stupid enough to have done so in the past.

It left the girl solely in their hands, with no one willing to help or take her place. Let the fun begin.


	9. The Halloweek Realization

No ownership of original, Ouran High School Host Club. This story and idea based from it is my own. Enjoy Kaoru's side of everything with a twist on the original. How many are enjoying the start of this friendship the twins are in with their toy 'Tanuki'? Let the middle school years continue on for the twins in this twist. Anyone wondering about Tamaki and the Host Club yet?

* * *

When the other girls yammered on and on over a boy they had discovered who had joined the grade above, Kaoru tilted his head for a moment. The chairman had a son? Huh. Sounded like he was either a charmer or the girls were just charmed with the fact he came from France. Kaoru brushed aside any notion of bothering the older boy. Souh was bound to be amused by any antics Hikaru and he pulled on his son. However, it seemed as though the youngest Ootori was paling around with the Souh scion.

The only time they had attempted a game on Ootori had not gone well.

The boy had informed them of several past games they had done, saying how he knew of them and what they did, in a scary straightforward manner, and then informed them exactly what he would do should they follow through on what they had begun.

That boy was very cold and unnerving.

No friends, but polite enough that everyone got on well enough with him. Not one to cross. Kaoru expected Ootori to be much a two faced business person. A polite face, but a calculative mind. Practical. But no connections to have any built trust, Kaoru believed. He was one of the more serious types at Ouran, but detached. It worked for Kaoru and his brother. Fashion world was fleeting for many working in it. Long term would not be an issue with them. The only long term they would need would be each other. Their same tiny world. But Kaoru was positive Ootori would burn all his bridges down in the family medical field with his personality as it was and was glad the downfall would not effect their family.

It wasn't the youngest who would take it over anyway. Even if one wished to applaud the stiff back and his attempts for anything otherwise. He'd make a great presenter though, Kaoru mused. With how much information he collected in his mind and put to use. Even persuasive with certain clientele involved. Such as knowing how best to stop a pair of Hitachiins from letting a fun game distract from his studies.

Hikaru nudged him after the gossiping girls left the classroom. "It's close to Halloween. Let's start Halloweek now."

"Leave me out of it," stated a nearby voice.

"Awwww," Hikaru and Kaoru whinned. "But Tanukiiii."

"No way." She continued her note taking with her mechanical pencil. "Leave me out of whatever it is. Especially after you two switched on me during the science lab just yesterday. I am already very...happy to learn which elements burst into flames when put in water, thanks."

They burst into laughter at the reminder. It had been their first successful game on her. They had finally managed to get her into a more fitted button up and their far more fashionable sweater and black slacks. It had also been the first time they saw a bit of fear on her face, even if it was more shock than fear. She shrieked at least. It was far from the first or only time she had bopped them over their heads.

Today she wore one of her mother's sweaters again and they had returned the one that they had insisted on washing the smoke smell out of for her. Well, more Kaoru than his brother's suggestion at first. But Hikaru had been far more pushy at washing the sweater for her once Kaoru pointed it out with that game plan on their toy.

They were beaming whenever another classmate complimented her on how pretty she looked yesterday and brought it up today. Normally, Kaoru and his brother cared little for the praise in their designs, but this outfit was not the usual and the efforts behind getting their toy to model it had them pleased at the attention over her. They were proud and told everyone, marching her down the hallways to show her off.

She had been hardly amused as they or their idiot classmates had been at the display.

Hikaru and he were quick to ask her if she wanted more new outfits like that and she was even quicker in denying them.

But they had agreed they had pushed the limit in the minor damage done to her deceased mother's sweater and destroying any of her study time with their glee. So they were leaving Tanuki out of their games for a while before they continued their efforts in her wardrobe and putting fun into her boring study school life. Thus, Halloweek was born.

"Fine."

"Study to your heart's content today."

"We will let you pass for a while toy."

"We did almost ruin that sweater of yours yesterday," Kaoru said at her suspicious glance up from her notebook.

"Besides. We figure that shriek is the closest you get to fear. You have no caution in showing up all our idiot classmates in keeping up your scores or acting like we are the idiots in yelling at us Tanuki."

"You're still common," they chorused. Her eyebrow twitched and they enveloped her, preening and petting her in total lack of her own personal space. Their toy sat there, unaffected by their actions. "Don't worry. We'll protect our toy if Tanuki fearlessly pisses off anyone of higher ranking than her."

It was their words that had her batting them away. "Knock it off already. I'm not a toy. You two need to quit saying such things."

"Like you have any say over us," they pointed out.

"Oh! There's the class president Kaoru."

Together, Kaoru and Hikaru dashed over to the president, storytelling and grabbing in full with the jumpy guy. They even dragged his so called rescuers into the horror story they weaved, many clutching their mouths and then screaming in fright as they grabbed and shouted at key story moments.

"Ta-Ta-Tanuki! Help us out! Get them to stooooop!"

The president screeched and leapt up and climbed onto the desks after Hikaru dragged a finger up his spine. He cried, trying to get away from them, still asking Tanuki for aid.

She sighed and called out over to them. "Kaoru, didn't you say that you and Hikaru were going to let me study today? You two aren't helping me concentrate with all this noise."

Hikaru jolted to a halt and Kaoru turned with him to stare at Tanuki.

When had this happened, Kaoru wondered. She wasn't friends with any others in the classroom, but decided to help them? She had always seemed too focused on schoolwork to care about others or go out of her way for them. And when had it happened that she had some pull in what the Hitachiin duo were up to and that their boring idiotic classmates had recognized it before Kaoru had done so?

"Let's take him to the haunted library personally then," Hikaru proclaimed loudly. He grabbed one arm and Kaoru grabbed the other. Together, they dragged their commotion away from the classroom where Tanuki studied. She had shrugged, ignoring more calls for help and went back to her notes.


	10. A Game Won?

No ownership of original, Ouran High School Host Club. This story and idea based from it is my own. Enjoy Kaoru's side of everything with a twist on the original. How many will catch Kaoru's use of Tanuki's real name?

* * *

When the girl paused, Kaoru pressed forward gently. "Your mother dressed for the best in her work and she would probably far more appreciate you dressing for your own best, not in her best." He definitely had her attention now, more so than any past attempts Hikaru and he had used.

"We very easily could have just bought the middle school uniform for you, but Hikaru and I are what we are. These were designed for you in mind, we can alter them if they are not your style, but it is a simple professional look. A updated version to your mother's style, but better suited for use more than style. Such as hidden pockets for you to use. I noticed you prefer to carry your own items and dislike relying on others to do so." She cocked her head and narrowed her eyes at him. Kaoru chuckled a bit. Perhaps that was more on how he and his brother choose to assist her in her things when they felt the urge.

"If anything, I added a new messenger bag in all of this. Hikaru added a choice of skirts that balance out the tops for you."

She studied him for a moment. While Hikaru was distracting himself with end of the year gifts about the classroom before the break, Kaoru had taken it upon himself to quietly address the girl. It seemed many of their got to methods failed with her, pushing up her stubbornness in the matter concerning her wardrobe choices.

"You are not only doing this for entertainment value?"

Kaoru shook his head. "Hikaru and I may claim you our toy often, but we are not unaware that you are a person Haruhi."

"Most people do not force me to dress up only to coo over how cute I am," she responded dryly. "Except for my father."

An exception to her fashion choices, Kaoru wondered.

"That does not detract from people taking you seriously."

She blinked in what seemed honest surprise at that and he frowned over it. Did she believe otherwise? Kaoru wondered at the story for her thinking care over fashion made her less herself in other people's minds. Her personality wasn't easily overlooked with her blunt statements and obvious hard working drive to her goals.

"People are not made by their clothes, but clothes can make a person. What you wear makes up a piece, a statement to the world, on who you are as a person. Or to how you feel that day in declaring yourself. I don't wish to replace your mother or drive, but to help you display who you are."

She hummed to herself. "You really care about this, don't you? Fashion, I mean. With how you just spoke on it."

"Yeah. But I care about you as well."

At her look, Kaoru froze in realization of what he said. He glanced away for a moment, surprised at himself for saying that out loud. He forged on, reverting his word choice back to the usual combined force. He'd been speaking singular the last minute or so, hadn't he? "We didn't really see who you were until you spoke up to us. And with our family, it's not really surprising we wanted to have your personality shown better, no?"

"Well, no," she agreed slowly. Her eyes moved to look over at Hikaru gleefully laughing from beneath a desk with one of their glitter bombs. "But if the two of you go by that, why are you not pressing this onto others?"

Why me in other words.

"They can afford it, they've been taught where you clearly...have not. Speaking of affording...how long can you afford to wear your mother's clothes before they wear completely through and you lose them to that wear and tear?"

Her fingers touched the sleeve of the favorite navy blue sweater she wore. Then she shook her head. "Objects and money are easy to throw around for all the rich kids here. Effort and time spent are not for anyone to throw around so easily, the rich included. From what I can tell, Hikaru and you even more so because of how quickly you move from one game to another. I am not sure about your brother, but it's not just about fashion or a game for you, is it Kaoru?"

He stared at her. "Of course it's a game for us Tanuki."

Not put off by his declaration, hiding behind his brother, she continued. Completely unsettled, he stared with growing wide eyes at her. She wasn't supposed to...no. She was to be good to Hikaru, not pay attention to...no. What was she doing?

"I thought you weren't taking me seriously, which made it easier to turn down but..." She smiled at him, unaware of the panic he was experiencing. "I accept your gift. I'm sorry I kept refusing it along with the sincerity you put into the gift. I did not mean to destroy anything by it, I only misunderstood how sincere you were. You truly meant it as a gift with me in mind. I'm sorry I took it lightly and rejected it Kaoru."

"And Hikaru," he tacked on hastily. "We have been trying to get you accept it for weeks."

"As treating me as a game in getting my acceptance? Your way just now was far better. But I'll try my best to not take Hikaru's games so lightly all the time. The two of you make it hard to take you seriously when you two are together."

Kaoru swallowed. Then he snapped, drawing Hikaru's personality into his own. "We're never apart stupid toy. Hikaru, I'm bored with Tanuki. Let's set up the gift for teacher now."

His brother cheered as Kaoru pulled out the big one from his bag. "What did our toy say this time? Looks don't matter again?"

"Oooh, get this brother. She thinks no one would take her seriously if she dresses up all cute and such!"

"Seriously Tanuki?" Hikaru burst into laughter with Kaoru. "As if someone can't see that! Our mother dresses up all cute and sexy."

"Beautiful and gorgeous."

"But why would that make her any less of the fierce businesswoman that she is?"

"Females in our family are strong and scary."

A sigh and together they bemoaned. "We only hope to be a fraction of what they are."

"The pair of you are certainly strong with something," she remarked as she tucked her bento away.

"Strong enough to get you helping us set up teacher's desk?"

"No way."

They let her run out of the classroom at her pitiful speed, laughing at how pale her face had gone.

"She's so fun to tease," Hikaru remarked. Kaoru nodded in agreement. Then, ignoring his concern on her speaking specifically to one of them, he grinned and informed his brother of her final acceptance of their gift.


	11. The Love Letters

No ownership of original, Ouran High School Host Club. This story and idea based from it is my own. Enjoy Kaoru's side of everything with a twist on the original. Who is looking forward to Tamaki popping in? It is that time in the time line after all, recruiting those devilish twins.

* * *

When February came to be, so did the influx of notes in their bags. Hikaru and Kaoru shared a look and as one spread the three notes out onto Tanuki's desk. She had stepped out for the restroom. They both thought she may not be pleased at their return game. Honestly, it was annoying. How could anyone just write one of the Hitachiin brothers a love letter? It was both or none. No one did one.

None of these letters asking for a meet up that led to a confession of love could be a confession of love. Whatever any of the silly girls loved, it wasn't them.

"How many is this now Kaoru?"

Kaoru shrugged. "Too many. Seven I think."

"Can I rip them up now," his brother complained loudly.

"Rip what up now?"

Hikaru startled, going wide eyed at the innocent question. Tanuki peered at the envelopes on her desk curiously. "Nothing!" He grabbed them up. "Don't touch them!"

Just to mess with his brother all flustered, Kaoru reached over and poked them. Hikaru jumped and yelped, Kaoru snickered behind his hand. With a huff, Hikaru glared at him and then Tanuki for her little twitch of a smile.

"That's not funny Kaoru," he whined.

"Rip up what Hikaru?"

Fidgeting in his seat, he refused to look right at Tanuki. "Nothing."

"Letters from girls," Kaoru responded glibly. "Asking to met with either one of us. They're the same kind of letter we received from Maya at the start of the school year."

At her blank expression he stated it more bluntly for her. "The girl who tried to confess to us and loudly interrupted your study spot."

"Oh. You and I remember that day very differently. You two aren't doing the same thing again, are you?"

"Yes," they chorused.

"She had to have told others."

"No our fault our classmates are idiots."

"They know what we are like."

"Over half couldn't even get the right bag for who they wanted to talk to."

Tanuki frowned. "How did they manage that? Your bags are labeled. Not difficult, you even leave them at your desks if and when you two switch seats."

"Who says we switch?"

She plucked at her pale pink sweater, a new one from Hikaru and Kaoru. Tanuki sighed and pulled her notebook open. "Isn't it obvious," she asked dryly.

They glanced at each other. Kaoru decided not to tell her about their mother. "We don't plan to drag it out. After the first one or two, the rest should figure out quickly enough neither of us hold any interests in them at this time. If they don't, they'll just be proving what nimrods we've been taking them for anyway. Besides our toy, we have never given our classmates reason to believe we wish to associate with them and they have never given one for us."

"We'll do whatever we want with them."

"Huh." She looked back and forth between them.

"What," Hikaru snapped.

"You keep others away on purpose. I'm just safe because I'm temporary, but that's why you call me your toy, isn't it?" She tapped her chin. "Who made you two want to keep anyone else out of your lives? To not even politely turn down these offers, but to hurt them so they don't come back?"

The two brothers froze at this. Kaoru certainly hadn't expected this. She had gotten in on her smarts but Tanuki was fairly oblivious at times. Most social cues were unseen by her and she continued on as she was, completely unaware of going against the polite face expectations.

He knew he had that impossible hope on her, but honestly didn't think she would notice and come so close to the truth. The truth of their gates, baring out the world. Hikaru viciously protective and Kaoru holding them tightly shut. But gates had bars, places for the outside world to peer in and them out. They just hadn't mixed in the past few years.

"Or have you been told so much about being a pair that you keep thinking like...like a pair of socks? No. You two are more...a pair of rascals." She put her finger down and thumped the fist to her palm. "Yes that. I think. Rascals come in pairs don't they? A pair of shoes, socks, mittens, doves, hands..."

Returning to tapping her chin, Tanuki continued listing off various pairs.

Hikaru turned to Kaoru, baffled. "Did she just try to compare us to doves?"

Kaoru nodded.

"A symbol of peace?"

"Yeah."

Together, they stared at Tanuki.

"A pair of pears," Kaoru offered.

"A pair of...plugs."

"Pants," she said absently. Her finger continued it's tapping at her chin.

"A pair of clogs."

"A pair of...cats."

"That's it! A pair of cats. Cheshire cats. That character from Alice in Wonderland does enjoy playing with people and having another would suit that...Tweedledee and Tweedledum!"

"OYE!"


	12. A Secretarial Idiot

No ownership of original, Ouran High School Host Club. This story and idea based from it is my own. Enjoy Kaoru's side of everything with a twist on the original. Seriously, who is looking forward to Tamaki popping in? It is time for the end of a school year! Celebrations and events galore!

* * *

When Tanuki blinked blankly at him, Kaoru blinked back stunned. Hikaru and he shared a wide eyed look. When he said Souh was the guy admitted last spring that all the girls in class were clamoring over, she admittedly was not part of the girls in the class. She was their toy. But to be this oblivious about something going on around her?

Hikaru snickered. "So much for his dramatized god-like brilliance."

"Who said that?"

"No one," Kaoru responded.

"Wouldn't matter even if he did. No one has won the game we gave him."

"All loud declarations, but he balked."

"He just wants to add the Hitachiin name to his line up."

"But still," Kaoru said offhandedly. "It is gratifying to see our toy immune to that rambling fool's looks."

"If not disturbing," Hikaru added.

Tanuki frowned at them. It wasn't surprising, considering her lack of fashion care, but still somehow was surprising. "I don't believe that looks should matter so much. It's personality which is more important."

Kaoru snickered and opened his book back up. "As if personalities or feelings matter much to many at Ouran Tanuki. Everyone here will use someone else. Our idiot classmates are told the same thing we were."

"Get along with everyone. Get on their good side," Hikaru stated dully. Her nose wrinkled at this and Kaoru smiled a little. She was so naïve.

"We were also told that as long as there is no lasting damage, we could do as we pleased. I suppose our classmates would consider us the idiots and childish and terrible because we act so surly. Makes it difficult for them to stay on our good side so they can use us at some point."

They shrugged. "Their problem, not ours."

Tanuki shook her head at them and opened her mouth. Kaoru cut her off. "The fashion world is fleeting anyway. We only need us, not any of them. But it is humorous that our toy says such things to a pair of Hitachiins."

"We have already premiered fashion alongside our mother, our works paraded next to her line," Hikaru said with a puffed up chest.

Missing the display for pride, Tanuki bypassed any feeling of being impressed. "I suppose that's an accomplishment to be proud of," she said a bit doubtfully.

Hikaru's shoulders slumped and Kaoru turned his amused face away. "Of course it is," he snapped.

Kaoru titled his head back and observed their toy for a moment. She wasn't the least fazed or bothered by Hikaru's outburst. Didn't even bother to smooth it over with some bit of praise she wouldn't mean. Irksome, but it was refreshing. After years of mindless praise, soothing and sorting out anything they stirred up, pretending to their faces that what they were was fine when they spoke ill otherwise…she was quite a piece of refreshment. She was hardly easily impressed when anyone else they knew would be all over praising their work and attempting to impress themselves onto the Hitachiin name.

"The real accomplishment is impressing you," he murmured to himself.

"Huh?"

"Oh it was nothing," Kaoru waved her off. "We'll remain proud that you still decide to put on our pieces to school. It speaks a lot on us getting it right. Even if you probably aren't even fashion savvy enough to even know what a bubble skirt is Haruhi."

Hikaru perked up at the reminder, a grin wide on his face. "You're proud of that much by our work in the fashion field. We still need to accomplish our next fashion goal with you and getting you to wear a few accessor—"

"A skirt made of bubbles? You cannot be serious. Consider my leg not pulled."

Kaoru caught Hikaru looking down briefly with a touch of confusion and disbelief. Hikaru's mind was probably still pleased she decided to finally wear his skirt, but Kaoru wanted to laugh. She was such a stubborn advisory in the name of fashion.

"Your skirt isn't made of bubbles," Hikaru sputtered.

"Your skirt…is a bubble skirt Haruhi," Kaoru managed to inform her. Then the laughter overtook him as he saw her startled face. Hikaru grabbed hold of him, chortling loudly.

"A skirt made of bubbles! Really Tanuki?"

"Can you imagine Hikaru?"

"Pop, pop, pop, gone!"

"The wardrobe malfunction of the States come Japan!"

"What a notion!"

"And Tanuki insults the frivolous notions of us rich bastards," they burst out together into laughter anew. Besides a few affronted faces, their idiot classmates were looking over at them and entertained by Tanuki's idea of a bubble skirt. Their toy was not as amused as they were by this idea.

She huffed and stood. "Well how am I to know? It would be just like you rich bastards to try to bottle the sea into a dress or something just as silly."

"Hey, Tanuki?" Kaoru and Hikaru looked up to see one of their idiot classmates talking to their toy. Startled from telling them off, she looked over to see Mariko. "We're planning to have a class event after closing ceremonies. We were wondering if you would be attending."

"Oh. No, I'm sorry. My father already has plans to take me out for a meal after closing ceremonies."

Mariko looked disappointed at this. "Well, I hope you enjoy your time with him. We just thought it would be the last time seeing you Tanuki. We'll miss you."

Kaoru and Hikaru snorted. No one in their class had truly bothered to get close to her. First, due to the commoner status and then due to her status as their toy. If anything, classmates treated her better and with politeness after they announced their interest in her. Kaoru wondered were Tanuki would be had they not done that, if classmates would have gone out of their way to bully the uppity commoner. The idea had his thoughts turn violent.

"You don't need to worry. I'm applying again for next year," she assured Mariko.

Kaoru experienced whiplash as he and Hikaru twisted to her. She never said anything to them!

"Awww," he cooed.

Hikaru picked up the cue.

"We never knew…"

"Our toy would have missed us!"

Together they clamped onto her and pulled her back to their desks, away from Mariko. Hikaru pinched her and glared. Kaoru poked at her cheek. Why did she not tell them? Oh yeah, probably because it was them and when they did things like this. He poked her cheek again in reprimand. She huffed at them again.

"Would you two quit grabbing onto me like that?"

"But you're our toy!"

"Ours," Hikaru clarified again. Kaoru nodded, but the hope in him just spurted up. Hikaru was being possessive over her. Toy or not, she was another person definitely entering Hikaru's life. And it looked like she would be around at school for another year.

Tanuki batted their hands away and returned to her desk. Hikaru and he focused their attention onto the unfortunate classmate who bothered them, knowing what she was sure to say next.

"Um, Hikaru, Kaoru, we're—"

"Yeah, we'll pass." Kaoru returned back to reading his book. Not like they cared about their idiot classmates and he had no reason to push it with Hikaru if their toy didn't even plan on attending. Hikaru rolled his eyes at Mariko and picked up his mechanical pencil up, a convinced buy off of Tanuki's collection.

"But, it's going to be the last event of our second year."

"We're not all that pensive about it."

"The one who's reading the book right now is Hikaru!"

He and Hikaru looked up from their respective books to see an excited face. Huh. Well, perhaps the rambling fool was going to prove more forward about the game than past losers had proved. "What is this, coming into our classroom like this?"

"Am I right? Did I get it right?"

"No, you didn't," Hikaru told him. He tightened his grip on the mechanical pencil.

"I've discovered something! Hikaru, you're right-handed!"

"Yeah, but both of us are right-handed."

This guy moves around a lot when he talks.

"Also, Kaoru, you part your hair on the right."

"We're always switching hairstyles."

Really, Kaoru wondered. What was he doing? Fishing? And fishing with no worm? It was their identical appearance that made this game so easy among the idiots around them. No one really looked at just one of them. It was both or nothing. Why ask the appearance questions? It was just like everyone else. He just happened to be more forward with his idiotic tendencies.

"When you harmonize, the one who takes the lower tone is—"

Hikaru and he burst up. "What are we, a chorus?!"

It was the find Hikaru game. Seriously, you idiot. Not the pair us up again game.

"Um…" Mariko still stood awkwardly to the side. "You're Souh, right?"

"Yes, I'm sorry. Did you need something with these two?"

When did they die and make him their secretary of events? Seriously, who did this bumbling fool think he was? They did whatever they wanted on their own terms.

"Yes, um," she hesitated, practically blushing at the attention. "I was inviting them to attend a class event."

"Kaoru said he passed and Hikaru just told you he wasn't even thinking about it," Tanuki said to Mariko. She went ignored by the charmed classmate. But both Kaoru and his brother nodded in agreement. They went ignored as well.

The secretarial idiot took the clipboard from Mariko and looked over their classroom's event. "Hmm, a film festival? That will be nice. I'll just circle Hikaru and Kaoru as attending."

"Don't you go deciding for us!"

Kaoru grabbed his book and Hikaru grabbed his, they both leaving. Forward was one thing, but this fool was just straight up annoying. Was he trying to get them to react for the game or was he just that much a fool?

"Hey, where are you going?!"

"We're leaving. You're annoying."

"What about our game?!"

"I thought we told you."

They turned and grinned. "Try your best."


	13. To Their Milord

No ownership of original, Ouran High School Host Club. This story and idea based from it is my own. Enjoy Kaoru's side of everything with a twist on the original. Here we go into the last year of middle school for the twins. Also the first year they are hosts!

* * *

When the club activities ended for the day, Kaoru reached for the pale pink ceiling, stretching. Hikaru leapt back onto the couch, sprawling all his limbs across it. Kaoru snatched up his bag and sat in the open space between his brother's legs. Hikaru perked to attention.

"You two help with clean up," Tamaki directed loudly from across the music room.

"No way."

The blonde idiot sputtered.

"Right here Kaoru," Hikaru spoke up. They ignored the flailing of limbs from the idiot lord. Only Hunny appeared mildly concerned before he beamed at him and then the twins, taking a large bite out of a cake slice. "Angle it up on one side. Forget having it remain as an actual bubble design. Create the sway of waves for the frothy bubbles you have set at her feet."

"Layer it." Kaoru drew his addition from his brother's slanting mark. "It'll help with the motion when she moves in it."

"Should we rename it? Beach dress? The sandy froth?"

Kaoru shook his head. "Tanuki gave it life with her mistaken notion of a bubble skirt, then when she said the beach thing today."

Hikaru snorted. "Nothing is wrong with a pool. Bubble beach. Bubbeach? Bubbe?"

"Hm. Simple notion of bubble made to sound fancy. Tanuki will definitely give us that look."

Hikaru grinned. "We definitely got to get her in that look. Some light pinks and oranges at the top, sunset traces, before the blues and whites for the water? Give it a pop of color with the top?"

"I like the idea of a long necklace, strapped with seashells and bits of driftwood. But you know how she is with things real and fake."

"She doesn't care with fake in jewelry though, prefers it fake."

"More a matter of price on real jewels. I like the smell and it isn't overpowering. Let's send for real driftwood."

"Bahamas? Jamaica? Oh! Remember last winter break's trip to Hawaii?"

"HEY!"

The two of them burst up and glared at Tamaki who had ripped the sketchbook out from Kaoru's lap. His face was red.

"Hey you two! I've been trying-"

"That's ours idiot lord!"

Tamaki puffed up his cheeks and glared back, clutching the stolen good to his chest. The new high school student had yet to learn fear of the Hitachiin brothers, but now was looking like a good moment for him to start. Kaoru jumped up off his brother and strode forward. Hikaru ran past him and leapt for the so-called president of the club.

Tamaki screeched and streaked away. "Save me!"

No one did. Hunny swung his legs as he watched and ate his cake. Mori was not much better than his cousin. Ootori even rolled his eyes before putting his attention back to his black notebook. Kaoru and his brother had easily noticed the younger Ootori dealt with Souh more like an annoyance than a friend. As long as they didn't pester him, they could pretty much bother Tamaki all they wanted.

"Kyoya!"

The blonde haired idiot dove behind his best friend and they skidded to a stop, glaring at Tamaki.

"Hiding behind the shadow lord?"

"Idiot lord can't even face us..."

"Like a true man!"

"Get out from behind me Tamaki."

"But Kyoya, I just-"

"And give them that back before I lock the three of you alone in a room together. Your father finds their antics funny, I am sure he'll happily tease what remains of you."

Kaoru and his brother shared an excited look.

"Permission from the shadow lord?"

"To go all out on idiot lord?"

"From the shadow lord?"

"How long would you give us?"

"And hour?"

"A day?"

"All week if it gets all three of you out of my hair," the youngest Ootori drawled easily as he absently turned a page. Tamaki went pale.

"Kyoya!"

"You two can start now," he offered.

The blonde panicked and threw the sketchbook at them. It flapped in the air before landing sideways onto Kyoya's hand. His pencil snapped. They all froze, Tamaki's swallow perpetrated the silence loudly.

Hikaru snatched Kaoru's sketchbook up quickly before the youngest Ootori tore it to pieces under his twitching eye.

"Oooh! The idiot lord is in trouble!"

"I'm sorry mon ami! You know I didn't mean it! It was the devil twins! I panicked. You didn't mean it, did you Kyoya?" The blonde made large puppy eyes at his best friend.

Kyoya groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. Kaoru stared in amazement. That wasn't really going to work, was it? "Tamaki, go make club meeting notes to discuss for tomorrow so you don't make a fool of yourself. Don't be bothering others so mindlessly."

Kaoru blinked. Utter surprise echoed on Hikaru's face. "He gave in to the idiot lord. Ootori," he stressed. "We may have to rename this guy."

Hikaru snorted.

"Still an idiot," Karou chimed in with Hikaru.

"Easy to play with."

Tamaki swiveled his head and added a pouting mouth to the puppy eyes. Kaoru turned his head away and to his brother. THAT was scarily effective.

"Why, even our toy is unaffected and rebukes him easily," Karou teased.

Hikaru beamed and laughed. His face lightened at conversation turning back to their favorite classmate. "Looks don't matter!"

"Personality does."

"And Tanuki charmed by neither of yours!"

The mentioned host, the prince host, fell to the floor in spasms. "Nooo! I matter, I matter! I'm even made of matter, I can't just...evaporate from being!"

Hikaru snickered and Kaoru joined in. Bothering and playing with Tamaki was easy, but the idiot gave some of the best reactions.

"Tanuki," Kyoya mused.

"Dressed in all Hitachiin creations rather than the middle school uniform option. Proclaimed a Hitachiin brothers toy from after last year's summer break, notable in being to date the longest plaything of said brothers known to those attending Ouran. This has resulted to her being treated politely rather than scorned and ignored due to her student status, stature and interest rising because of continued interactions with the devil twins. As well as remaining top of the class despite dealing with you two," Kyoya finished with a long gaze at them. Hunny and Mori had joined Tamaki in listening about what the young Ootori had to say about their toy.

"Isn't our toy the best," the two asked with glowing pride.

Tamaki sputtered, arms waving about madly. "A person isn't a toy! That poor young lady!"

"Young?"

"Lady?"

"Tanuki?"

They cracked up into laughter and rolled around on the floor. Tanuki tended to hunch her shoulders when focused over her schoolwork. She could care less about the outfits they designed for her, until Kaoru showed that they honestly cared and it was a meaningful gift, taking into account of what style of comfort she already preferred. She was blunt and harsh at times. She didn't care about glossing anything over. Tanuki was pleasant to others, but didn't give a single wit about status and pissing them off if she didn't care for any of their attitudes. She was a tomboy, but a lazy one, not even a decent tomboy who had impressive athletic ability to show for it.

"Oh! Oh! Oh! I want to see what Tanuki does if idiot lord treats her like a young lady!"

"Oh, yes! Yes! Can we pay for a session of her at the idiot lord's table?"

Tamaki was inching away from them, but Kaoru cared little at his observation, just as enthusiastic as Hikaru at Tanuki visiting the host club. Kaoru pointed and his brother grinned. They laughed louder.

The idiot lord straightened. "I must rescue this young lady from these deplorable twins!"

Kaoru snorted. "You're going to have to wait until after the summer break."

"She is going to be busy modeling some of our designs our mother loves created by us. Already snuck permission to kidnap her from her father."

They sang brightly, "Ranka is amazing!"

"Do you have her father's permission?"

Tamaki drooped, then spun to Ootori. "I demand she go through solo under my princely wings after break! And when is your mother's summer fashion show?"

"No. No pestering our toy," Hikaru snarled. "Our toy, not yours."

Tamaki huffed. Either at being told off or the repetitious use of toy, Kaoru was unsure. He poked the air pocket sure to deflate any of the blonde's ideas.

"Mother doesn't allow frivolous no ones to distract the models. The event is already hectic enough. Everyone follows through on the high heel attack warning posted at the door. You especially do not need any extra holes on your body. Too much intelligence leeks out already...Milord."

Ready to burst again, Tamaki got a dreamlike gaze across his face. Hunny giggled. "Tama-chan is floating off his chair."

"Very impressive Milord," Hikaru snickered out.

Tamaki made a funny noise, his head weaving up higher.

"Both of them. The twins called me... They respect me. Gave me a warning, their Milord kept from danger. Yes, no need for you precocious twins to worry upon my safety."

Kaoru and Hikaru clutched their mouths to hold in the high hilarity of Tamaki floating away from reality and mumbling nonsense. Kaoru flickered a finger to the doorway. Hikaru nodded.

"Have a good summer...Milord," they stressed loudly as they quickly gathered their things.

"Oooh! Tama-chan is like a helium balloon Takashi!"

"Mm."


	14. For Only One

No ownership of original, Ouran High School Host Club. This story and idea based from it is my own. Enjoy Kaoru's side of everything with a twist on the original. I apologize for the wait. Family vacation and then school beginning. Speaking of after the summer break, here we go into after Kaoru and Hikaru's summer break. Are any of you thinking about the 'real' start of the host club yet and if Haruhi will be part of it when she gets to high school? Does attending early mean no 'full' host club with all seven members?

* * *

When school was back from summer break, it became clear just how out of the social loop their toy was in life. She was baffled at all the friendly greetings and voyages of friendship from most of Ouran. Granted, their class was much like the Hitachiin twins, amused at her confusion.

"That's our Tanuki," Mariko laughed. Several other girls nodded beside her. "Come on Tanuki, let's get to class."

"It was nice meeting all of you, but I must get going."

Kaoru held his brother back from overtaking the girl, pulling him back around the corner. "Wait Hikaru. Let's watch and see if she really is that unaware."

Hikaru's mouth opened like a fish, flabbergasted. "How could our toy not be aware? She's been plastered all over the fashion and girly teen magazines wearing our new line!"

"Hello Tanuki," shouted out a girl from class B. She hurried over to Tanuki, three others quickly following as she began gushing. "Oh, I just love your outfit today! Is it new? I hear it's made by the Hitachiin twins. Another original? The color is really suiting your skin tone. How do you keep your skin so soft looking?"

"Oooh, oh," Hikaru whispered excitedly. "Tell the fake bimbo mashed up potatoes mixed with fresh maple syrup!"

"Oooh! Or caramel sauce with smashed jalapeños," Kaoru suggested.

She did neither.

Tanuki blinked at the other girl, down at her clothes, then back over to Mariko's amused face. "Did Hikaru or Kaoru send e-mails to everyone in an attempt to ruin my class attendance? Hm. That actually sounds like them," she said. "Always trying to detract my attention from classwork."

"There's an idea," Kaoru admitted.

"It's a weak one though," Hikaru said.

They shared a look and shrugged. "It's Tanuki."

"Hey Tanuki," Kaoru sung out. Hikaru burst out from around the corner of the hallway as well, bouncing. "Tanuki!"

"You two are going to be late for class," she informed them briskly. Then, before they could leap onto her, Tanuki turned and strode away. Mariko and the other girls with her laughed loudly as they quickly scuttled up with her and waved off the B class girls.

"So are you!"

They made a dash and grabbed a hold of her. Determined, she trudged forward. The entire time she slide her way centimeter by centimeter forward, she vocally berated them and told them off. Hikaru and he found themselves laughing, still being dragged along slowly. Then, the girls of their classroom grabbed a hold of her arms and helped pull her forward as well.

Hikaru immediately fired off threats, peeved at their interference. Kaoru joined in as well. Tanuki then began shouting at them about that. Mariko was the first girl to begin yelling, then the other girls, emboldened, did so as well. Kaoru and his brother vocalized their threats even louder, after they finally got over the shock of their other classmates standing up to their danger, the Hitachiin hazards flashing brightly.

Tanuki slumped into her seat, breathing heavily by the time she managed to get into it. "I…hate…ugh!"

Her head went right down onto the desk. Concerned, Kaoru poked at her cheek with his finger. "Haruhi?"

"Tanuki better be okay," Mariko stated brashly. Hikaru whipped around and fired a spare pony tail from inside his desk at her. Mariko shrieked and ducked. Pleased with himself for getting the fear, Hikaru grinned at her.

"She's our toy, not yours. Or do you forget what Hikaru and I did to you with the slime?" She paled at Hikaru's reminder and quickly touched her hair. That was an old one, Kaoru thought and then glanced to Mariko. He'd forgotten it'd been her they did that one to.

Tanuki raised up her head sluggishly and Kaoru put his attention back onto her. "You…okay?"

Kaoru tilted his head at the sight of the envelope sticking to Tanuki's cheek and read the elaborate floral design spelling out her name.

"That definitely shrieks the idiot lord's style," he intoned dryly and plucked it off for her. Hikaru spun his head around to look at what Kaoru meant by that sentence, narrowing his eyes at the marbled envelope.

"Milord business certainly didn't detract him," Hikaru growled.

Kaoru hummed thoughtfully. "Perhaps Tanuki's manner can from future endeavors."

They turned to stare at her.

Tanuki blinked tiredly at them, uncomprehending.

"It's an invitation to check out a prestigious club of our high school," Kaoru informed her.

Puzzled, she looked between him and Hikaru. "Okay, and?"

"Tonight isn't grocery shopping night for you, why not go and check it out," he suggested.

"Huh. Hm. That's true. What kind of club? Scholastic? Which would be better? Walking home straight away or waiting here to get my legs back," she pondered.

Tanuki was entirely lazy, Kaoru decided. The world couldn't move her if it wanted to. But give her an academic goal and it was all pistons go. "Probably rest first," he suggested. "Besides, it'll give you a chance to check out the club and see if it will help you in your goal of becoming a lawyer."

"Good point Kaoru," she murmured. He shared a surprised look at Hikaru. Tanuki agreed with one of them? She just went along for the magical word of lawyer? Or was it Kaoru's appeal to her laziness? "But for now, I'm resting after you all decided to play tug of war with me."

She put her head back down onto her desk.

Laziness, Kaoru decided.

Hikaru scribbled on his notebook, then held it up for Kaoru to read.

'Doesn't seem much entertainment if she's going to be like this at the club.'

"Food," Kaoru replied simply.

Hikaru beamed brightly. They had found over the course of Tanuki's kidnapped time for their mother's summer fashion show, food had been a good bribe for her. It was silly, ridiculous, but downright adorable how much Tanuki enjoyed the food they offered her.

"Mmm," Tanuki mumbled. "Wait."

Her head poked back up, wide brown eyes narrowed from just above her folded arms. "You two cannot keep bribing me with food. I only went along with it this summer because I had no money to get home and I found out you two convinced my dad to go along with your kidnapping me for your fashion thing, due to promised pictures of me in frilly stuff."

"No bribe," Hikaru said. Kaoru wasn't sure if that counted for a lie or not. They were certainly aiming for her to do something after all. Tanuki didn't look as though she believed Hikaru anyway.

"Revitalizing you," he said. "You know, get back your energy. Buy you something large and nutritious to make up for us earlier."

Hikaru nodded. "Yeah, totally."

Suspicious, Tanuki eyed between them carefully. "You two? With an actual apology?"

"Us? Apologize?" They cracked up at the idea of actually doing and going through with such an atypical Hitachiin thing. Her shoulders drooped and she sunk her head back down.

"That'd be weird with you two. Okay Kaoru, I'll take you up on your offer."

Hikaru's brows furrowed at the specific twin call out with that. Kaoru did as well, but he figured his reason for that was far different than his brother's reason. She had yet to call them incorrectly, switches and all. Hikaru was only now picking up what Kaoru had begun noticing months earlier. He'd tested her a few times, but never outright asking. Tanuki had yet to name them by the other and he was highly doubtful of luck.

Kaoru was not liking how she had taken trusting his explanations and what he said compared to Hikaru. The goal had always been for her to notice his brother, not him. It felt less like Tanuki entering their world, to be there for Hikaru if he needed it, and more like Tanuki entering Kaoru's world.

He would have to make sure to break that trust.


	15. His Brotherlike Determination

No ownership of original, Ouran High School Host Club. This story and idea based from it, is my own. Enjoy Kaoru's side of everything with a twist on the original. I apologize for the wait, but also I don't apologize. Fire is not your friend. Or belongs to the extreme in your family's household. I feel not the happiest with this chapter, tweaking it around a few times before putting it up. Let's see how Haruhi enjoys this so called scholastic club they've talked her into with her lazy legs. Any predictions on how she'll take it? Did any of you worry about how Kaoru thinks he needs to break her trust on him?

* * *

When they chorused the usual club greeting, all Kaoru and Hikaru were focused on was playing a commoner game taught to them. I Spy. Their toy had hoped it would distract them from fussing when they had made the long trip together to the summer fashion show. To quote the 90's, as if.

"I spy with my little eye," Kaoru whispered to his brother.

"A toy's personality in full swing," Hikaru whispered back gleefully.

They both laughed at Tanuki's face. She bee lined to them and bobbed them both over the head. Tamaki gasped loudly from somewhere in the vicinity as did Hunny. Though Hunny's seemed more bubbling in laughter.

"You two told me this was a scholastic club."

Several regular guests tittered and laughed at this misconception.

"Implied." Kaoru waved the accusation away

"Lied," Hikaru added.

"What's the difference?"

They shrugged, grinning at her eye twitch.

"I'm leaving," she informed them bluntly.

They dived, grabbing her before she could leave and sung loudly as they clung to her arms. "Tanuki! Tanuki! Great big game! Get Milord! Tanuki! Tanuki! Do your best!"

She swatted at them and managed to bop them both over the head again. Tanuki stared evenly at them. Kaoru knew her enough to read the annoyance. "Quit being ridiculous."

Laughing merrily, Kaoru and his brother gave her a shove toward a sputtering Tamaki. The idiot lord of the club caught Tanuki before she stumbled to the floor, asked if she was all right before he began yelling at them. They snickered and mimicked him.

Kaoru stumbled, Hikaru caught him.

"Are you all right young lady?"

"Oooh," Kaoru swooned dramatically. He threw a hand across his forehead. "I seem to have stumbled upon my darling knight in shining armor!"

Hikaru cracked up laughing, as did Kaoru. Tanuki was no blushing romantic. Even their classmates found their act hilarious. They bowed to applause. Then they caught sight of a white uniform hiding behind the three brown girls' uniforms.

Hikaru and he bounded over and dragged the protesting class president toward their table, making loud declarations.

"Our classmates!"

"Our customers!"

"Our brave, strong, masculine president," they cooed.

"How brave of you…"

"...to be the first man we host."

"We'll be sure to take good care of you!"

"I-I-I-I was con-con—" The boy went pale and dead stiff as Hikaru dragged him to a chair. Kaoru pushed the class president into it. Their three female classmates had followed.

Mariko spoke. "We couldn't help but notice you two buying Tanuki lunch today and held concern on why for our classmate."

"Boo!"

"No fun!"

"No one used to care what we did with our toy."

"We've gotten to know her," the class vice president summed up shortly. She patted the president's arm, reassuring him briefly before she gazed around the music room with fascination. Her close friend shared the interest, she turned to stare as well. Momoka and Kimiko failed to notice how red the president's face went, then paled drastically when seeing the matching Hitachiin Cheshire grins. Kazukiyo didn't look as though he'd speak up, stuttering or no, the rest of the visit.

Mariko shuffled her chair to angle it toward Tamaki's usual hosting spot. She had been to the Host Club once before, Kaoru recalled. A few of the girls in their class had actually, but she was the only one from this group of four. It did not take long for her to ask Hunny over the cakes of the day and receive one from the tiny upperclassman after she sat.

"I've requested Tamaki before," she stated simply. "I came for the show."

"Oh? What kind of show Mari-chan?" Hunny perked up in curiosity. Mori gazed down at the group.

Kaoru and Hikaru smirked. Kaoru spotted Kyoya not far off, scribbling into a black notebook. Then their classmate finished.

"Tanuki can handle the theatrics of you two devilish twins after all."

"Hey!"

"We're nothing like the idiot lord!"

"You three are close? Hm? Kao-chan? Hika-chan?" Hunny's large eyes peered between them. Their upperclassman waved his customers over to join their table. His cousin, Mori, stacked up chairs and carried the entire pile over for them. They knew her well enough, that they knew more about her than their silly classmates. Like her favorite fruit, her father's shenanigans to get her into frilly outfits, the stubborn nature to do it herself that appeared often enough, and how beloved her deceased mother was. "Tanuki-chan didn't even seem annoyed at the misdirection or grabbing her."

"We've taught our toy well," Hikaru stated.

"Tanuki is just like that." Hikaru and he turned in disbelief. Mariko actually spoke over him. It didn't help that their classmates nodded in agreement with her.

"The rest of you never got to know her until months after we did."

"Not bothering with the commoner."

"Tanuki has always been blunt and fearless."

"But fights less on every little game we play."

"We're wearing her down," they proclaimed together. "She's _our_ toy."

Hunny giggled and destroyed any feeling of success in very short matter. "Did you two let Tanuki-chan smack your heads?"

They stared. Hunny giggled at them again.

"Maybe she's actually training the two of you," Mariko suggested.

"That's it!" Hikaru burst up out of his seat. Kaoru fought his laughter, because it was true. They did let her get away with it. She was fearless, but a patience in lecturing them and a presence despite any of their antics…who they were was accepted by her. Others knew who they were but ran, tried changing them, chided them like stupid children. Their toy only really called them out on their real crap. She didn't always join in on the fun, but if it wasn't fun, she let them know.

Still, Tanuki is the only one who had earned the privilege of standing up to them. She was…their toy.

Friend more like, but Kaoru wasn't going to state it out loud until Hikaru started wording it. His brother was starting to act like it, abet an odd one, but they were Hitachiins. What else was to be expected if they formed relationship with someone other than each other?

Kaoru's hope on Tanuki with Hikaru kept on rising.

"Stop harassing the customers you devils!"

Both Kaoru and Hikaru ignored the command, continuing to chase Mariko around the clubroom. Hikaru jumped onto a table and lifted up a plate. "Target sighted!" Kaoru snagged a plate himself as he remained in pursuit. The clubroom had backup uniforms and food wasn't a harmful injury. He crowed with Hikaru as Mariko glanced back and squealed.

"No! Kao-chan! Hika-chan! Not the cake!"

"Aim!"

"No! They even have strawberries on top!"

Kaoru skidded to a halt and looked back to Hikaru. They shared a grin, then turned to stare at Tanuki and walk toward her. Her eyes narrowed at them, daring them to just try it. Tamaki hurriedly stepped in front of her, huge and dramatic, long arms thrown wide.

"But it's our toy's favorite," they chorused.

Tamaki persisted his stare down at them. Bored by the persistence, Kaoru shared an eye roll with his brother. The king of this club was annoying in his chivalry. It's not as if Tanuki cared over one gender or another. Her manner of dress when left to her own devices was telling, even when Ranka and they combined forces, she didn't see the point of how one was perceived. Her shape of eyes and length of hair were her saving points on being mistaken for a boy when she dressed comfy.

"Would you like a strawberry cake Tanuki-chan?"

Startled for a moment, she looked down to the tiny high schooler. "Uh, yeah. If that's okay?"

Kaoru lowered his plate and put a hand on Hikaru so he did the same. He mouthed 'Hunny' and Hikaru huffed, but nodded, shoulders slumping. Hunny was more than his appearance let on. Aiming a projectile at Hunny didn't sound like fun.

"Yay! Strawberry!" Hunny cheered and spun to get her one.

Tamaki beamed and nodded in approval at them having their plates down, sweeping aside to comfort the customers nearby who may have been frightened for him. They swooned famously. Tanuki shook her head at one blonde and smiled at the other, then looked over to them.

"I'm glad you stopped yourself and your brother Kaoru," Tanuki said with a smile right at him. Him first. Kaoru. She was supposed to there for Hikaru, not him. They finally had someone entering their world, but that someone was focusing on the wrong one. His hope on Tanuki with Hikaru nosedived.

Hikaru clicked his tongue at her. "You don't know Hunny," he bit out. Tanuki blinked, smile falling into a frown, looking between them carefully. Her face suddenly lit up.

"Oh!" She hit a fist into a palm. "You two wanted to give me the strawberry cake, didn't you? I'm not your toy you know." Her finger wagged at them. "You guys can give me the next one." She beamed as if the problem was solved.

You need to stop trusting me, Kaoru though fiercely. I am not a good person.

He was snarling at his name and her smile echoing through his brain.

But hell if he was going to leave the world if Hikaru would be left behind, lost and broken. He didn't want her. She supposed to be for Hikaru. Kaoru's heavy heart, the loneliness carving out his insides, his pain…that was his. Hikaru needed someone else when Kaoru left the world. She was for Hikaru. She was for Hikaru!

The plate left his fingertips.

And Kaoru froze as he realized what he did, watching as it flew into Tanuki's face. The strawberry tumbled off through the air and out the window. Well, there went any of his actual logical or thought out plans. Kaoru snapped his open mouth shut, disbelieving of his own actions, and stared at the gob smacked girl.

Kyoya called for a halt to the host club activities and began ushering the customers out. Kaoru could see the rant building up in Tamaki and the puzzled looks from the pair of cousins. Tanuki took the offered towel from Mori to wipe off her face, still staring right at him before she was led out.

Kaoru looked his brother. Blessed Hikaru, he may have been just as much in disbelief as Kaoru, but he understood. Throwing his own plate at Tamaki's face, the pair of them ran past his flailing body on the floor and out the door and ditched the club meeting.


End file.
